Double Point feature

[vanisaac]

Might as well get these ideas out so that others can chime in.

I'd like to see a right-click option for off-curve points that would do the following:

1. if a point adjacent to the selected off-curve point is another off-curve, add an on-curve point at the midpoint between the two off curve points.

2. whether the adjacent on-curve points were pre-existing or not, create two off-curve points at the midpoint between the selected off-curve point and the two adjacent on-curve points.

3. delete the selected off-curve point.

4 (alternate) add an on-curve point at the midpoint between the two new off-curve points.

This should result in an identical curve, defined by two off-curve points, rather than one.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

The two curves will be very similar, but not identical.

I don't see the point of the exercise, but its quite easy to do already.

1. With the off-curve point selected, press shortcut "a" to add an on-curve point
2. Marquee select the on-curve point plus the preceding on curve point
3. Press shortcut "a" to add two on-curve points
4. Press shortcut"f" to convert them to off-curve points
5. Delete the intermediate off-curve point.

Add Intermediate Off-curve Points.png (18.68 KiB) Viewed 10422 times

[vanisaac]

Well obviously, there is a means of doing it, otherwise I couldn't have generated the image. The trouble is that I find myself doing it a lot, but it requires determining the direction of the contour, and multiple steps thereafter. It seems to be a basic operation that is overly convoluted to accomplish.

PS, my understanding of the quadratic Bezier spline is that were it not for rounding errors, the resulting curve would be identical. I haven't ever done the maths, though. Is there a mathematical difference between a single off-curve point, and its doubled doppelganger if the funit points don't have to be rounded?

PS, the point of it is to have a means to add points to a contour without effecting the shape of the curve.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Since nodes can only be placed at integer x,y co-ordinates, adding more nodes than necessary is always going to distort the curve slightly due to rounding errors. That's why I still wonder what the advantage is of doing this?

See In Search of A Perfect Circle

[Erwin Denissen]

I can see the benefit splitting one point into two while maintaining the same outline. It might be even better to be able to right-click anywhere on a outline, and then add an on-curve point exactly there. This obviously also implies that in most cases a couple of more (of-curve) points have to be added to ensure the outline remains the same.

[Mike Thompson]

You all seem familiar with this operation as you are discussing different ways of doing it.
Please enlighten the perplexed...
Why do you want to do this?
Mike

[vanisaac]

Mike, if you want to create an appendage off of a previously designed character (say an "o" with a horn: ơ ), you may want to add control points without effecting the shape, in order to give yourself places to interrupt the curve. That's one example. I end up doing a lot of geometric type design (shorthands), so I often want to add control points in order to make new characters based on preexisting archetypes. Frankly, I'm more interested in making this tool more intuitive, so that others who have far different needs than I can be more successful in their efforts.

[Mike Thompson]

Thanks vannisaac,
I see I could use this to make a Q from an O!
Mike

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Thanks vannisaac,
I see I could use this to make a Q from an O!
Mike

I just draw the extra stroke, then use Get Union of Contours, but that's not available in the Home Edition. Its very useful for building glyphs from pieces of other glyphs, e.g. p + l = Þ or O + / = Ø.

[Erwin Denissen]

Thanks vannisaac,
I see I could use this to make a Q from an O!
Mike

I just draw the extra stroke, then use Get Union of Contours, but that's not available in the Home Edition. Its very useful for building glyphs from pieces of other glyphs, e.g. p + l = Þ or O + / = Ø.

This is indeed way more effective and more precise than manually adding points, so I strongly recommend using the Get Union feature. However I can imagine even with the professional edition, you sometimes want another approach.

[Erwin Denissen]

PS, the point of it is to have a means to add points to a contour without effecting the shape of the curve.

I just realized you can already accomplish this with the knife feature. Cut a single part of your contour. The contour will not be split, but will get a new point at the place where you cut the contour.